Get in the Water

Happy Monday morning, my friends. I hope you’re starting the week well. I’m on a bit of a personal high, as some very important things happened over the weekend. My two oldest children have decided to follow Jesus with their whole hearts, and also hopped in the water to be baptized alongside some other great kids from our church. Truthfully, it kind of snuck up on me. Even though I have prayed for them over and over and done everything I know how to do to introduce them to the grace, mercy, and love of God, I didn’t plan to baptize them so young (ages five and almost seven). But a few weeks back, the older one started asking me questions about baptism and what it means and why the Bible talks about it. I shared the simple gospel with her…who Jesus was, what He did, and why He did it.

(this picture gives just a hint of how excited the girl was to be getting baptized…nevermind that she looks like she’s trying to not pee her pants)

“Can I be baptized?” She asked me after I had answered a number of her questions about it.

“Do you believe all those things I told you about Jesus are true and do you want to follow and obey Him, living how He showed us to live?” I responded.

“Yep, I do,” she said without hesitation and with her usual exuberance.

“Then I guess you can.”

We talked about it several more times in the past few weeks. Brother jumped on board and asked to be baptized too. I quizzed him on several occasions to figure out what he understood and what part of his enthusiasm was to be in competition with his sister. I asked him, “What does it mean when you are baptized?”

“It means you are raised to a new life in God and can live with His power in you,” he said. Twang. Strummed on the heart-strings..or maybe the soul-strings.

So we forged ahead and signed them up to participate in the baptism service at church. I don’t have photos of the dunking (yet – someone else may have taken some) because I had the great honor of getting in the water myself to baptize the kids alongside the pastor. I know we have a lot of years ahead–lots of opportunities to grow in character and understanding–but I’m as thankful as I can be to have the closest look into the spiritual journey of my children.

Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'”

What an awesome opportunity for you as a mother! We get so caught up in the “things” we forget what’s important and the foundations you just laid with these children are the only things they really need. God bless you Emily and these babes too! <3